Recently I have been taking tentative steps into the world of tie-stealing. It takes a lot (and I mean a LOT) more nerve than stealing a watch but is very, very funny. The first picture below shows a gentleman’s reaction to discovering his timepiece had been pilfered and the second show me wearing the tie of the chap next to me just before he realises it’s been taken. He turned to me and complimented me on my tie, saying that he had one very similar!

If you have even the vaguest interest in magic and you are anywhere near London this week, you HAVE to see this show!

In this photo the bride is checking the £20 note… seconds ago it was a piece of paper!

Hi Rob,

Sorry for the delay in writing but we both just wanted to say a massive thank you for the job you did at our wedding on the 3rd of April 2010. We have had so many people comment to us how amazing you were, it seems you stole the show! Your service has been faultless from extremely prompt contact all the way through to your performance.

We both agreed that on the day you were outstanding. Your magic was awesome! Despite performing for individual tables and being surrounded not one person could dispute your magic! The magic tricks were mind blowing and suited perfectly to the small audiences.

More importantly the way you conducted yourself was very much appreciated, you were discreet enough not to steal the limelight but spread yourself equally around the room so that everyone was entertained. You were very funny and everyone said what a nice person you were (especially the bridesmaids!)

We would not hesitate to recommend you to anyone, please feel free to use this as a reference or pass on my email if they want to know more!

Thanks again for helping make our day so special.

Regards Dean and Sarah Ford

I see “full time performers” who I know have other jobs, “international acts” who count their summer package holidays as foreign engagements and “award-winning magicians” who as far as I am aware, are referring to the fact they have a 100m swimming certificate.
When taking a look at other magicians’ websites, I have to remember to avoid any hot drinks incase I end up choking and scolding myself when I when I read some of their more outlandish claims. So how do you know who is pulling the wool over your eyes and deceiving you into thinking they will be first class at, well, deceiving you?

If you are looking online for a close up magician to hire for your event: I urge you to check up on the person you are dealing with. If they are performing and working as much as they say they are, there will be plenty of mention of them online. If you search for “Rob James” you’ll find lots of talk about someone with a similar name in Coronation Street and also my namesake who appeared in Canadian Idol a few years ago (which explained why I started getting 500+ visits to my website a day!) But, other than that, you’ll find a fair few mentions of me on external websites which hopefully should lend credence to what I have chosen to publish about myself and my act on this site. To save you a bit of time, here are a few websites that reference having seen me perform or hired me as the close up magician for their event.

“Extraordinary magician Rob James, who you may remember from the Haywood Pavilion party a couple of years back, was so good people were still telling me about what they had seen weeks after the event!”
www.countyhall.org
I have performed at several events in London for the County Hall Residents’ Association.

“Proper ‘close up’ magician Rob James wandered about, confounding small groups with his sleight of hand. I’d hired them because I wanted things to be happening all through the evening”
www.dailymail.co.uk
Author and journalist Bel Mooney has hired me for both her 60th birthday party and her daughter’s wedding, which she references in this article.

“What an absolutely fantastic night we had. Rob James and Gary Brown were amazing. They are both extremely talented magicians as well as being really nice guys. They completely amazed me and many others with their slight of hand. I will definitely be booking them both again in the very near future.”
www.langfordproductions.co.uk
Langford Productions are the most respected talent agency in the South West.

“Next, it was off to the spanish hall again for the Magical close up championships… In my opinion Rob James was the best (in the competition) by far”
www.myspace.com
This is the blog of another magician referring to my performance in a contest at the world’s biggest magic convention held annually in Blackpool.